billh

Quite a few hydraulics have been replaced with decent mechanical gear now, only on tail gates though. Locks 1,4, 15 and 16 iirc. possibly others. A big improvement.

Pluto's answer is correct. If you fish around with a boat hook a few feet in front of the roller, you may find a chain, attached to the drain plug. Don't pull it 😄. Many of these drains have been sealed off in recent times to prevent a recurrence of the "Chesterfield" incident where a BW dredger caught the chain and pulled out the plug..... There's a Martin Zero (!) video about one of these drains on the Rochdale Nine in Manchester, shows the details. A similar roller is on the Ashton Canal near Guide Bridge, it can only be seen from a boat as there is a large removable stone over it , so can't be seen from the towpath, this drained into the Jeremy Brook but I have never seen it used and will be under several feet of silt by now.

Having seen the bottom of several boats based at New Islington , they tend to be made of thin ferrous oxide occasionally part covered with bitumen. Those boats are protected from sinking by the marina being drained, thus saving the owners from expensive repairs😄

Bergius Kelvin,King of Norway.

The guy that ran Waterside moorings in Marple, attempted that route maybe 30+ years ago. His boat was a modified Springer about 40ft . I think he went aground somewhere off Fleetwood and had to be towed off by a lifeboat. I can't remember whether he completed the journey or returned to Glasson. Both he and the boat survived the experience.

Genuine question: what are the indicators that a shop is being used for money laundering? I would much prefer not to give them my custom but I do have to visit eg barbers shop , numerous of which have recently opened around here.

Well, there was a serious fire in Standedge railway tunnel last Sunday, a minor Apocolypse? The trains have started running again this morning. Luckily, the canal had water in it for the Fire Brigade to use. I'm not convinced that mooring in the tunnel is all that safe😃

That will be quite a long canal when it's finished . About 84 miles😄

It is commercial in this case. Domestic water supply must be generating income for CRT and the cost of pumping that water past the breach will be significant.

Therein lies the answer- use the one on the right to exteeerrrminate old boats. Instant scrappage scheme!

That's what I was thinking, though not so much an opportunity, more like a wake up call.

Disley, Peak Forest, 50 odd years ago, one or two small cabin cruisers went into the breech. Somewhat earlier (1930s?) there was a breech near Hyde also on the PF. A maintenance boat was dragged towards the hole and there was supposed to be a nightwatchman aboard, who was never seen again! He may well have been elsewhere at the time of the incident and thought better of returning to the scene.

Last I heard , there was 10 million gallons a day going down the canal to Hurleston reservoirs , that will take quite some pumping effort past the breech for probably months. Meanwhile, I hope they can shut the River Dee feed off at Llangollen!

Romans built that didn't they? Straight line up and down all the hills😃

I just knew that was coming after Ronaldo's post😀